Radial-draft gear.



c. P. MEYERV @L F. R. CAMPBELL.

RADIAL DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FLLED MAY LB. 1915.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

5 num/fox can@ MaJ/La g @fatica-MH c. E. MEYER 'L E; R. CAMPBELL.

l RADIAL DRAFT GEAR. APPLICATION FILEDlMAY 18,1915.

Patented Deb. 19,1916.

' 3 wveAM-oz CLL 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- and FRANK Rf CAMPBELL, both citizensof.

Unia-En sra'rns ramena onirica CHESTER F. MEYER AND FRANK R. CAMPBELL,OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNORS T THE NATIONAL MALLEABLE CASTINGS COMPANY,OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPO- RATION 0F oH'Io.

RADIAL-DRAFT GEAR.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, CHESTER F. MEYER theUnited States, and residents of Cleveland, Cuyahoga county, Ohio, havejointly invented new and useful Improvement-s in Radial-Draft Gears, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of aradial draft gear embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontalsection thereof; Fig. 3 is a section on line III- III of Fig. l.; Fig. 4is a section on line IV--IV of Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a section on line V-Vof Fig. l; Fig. 6 isa detail section of the outer casing; Fig. 7 is asection on line VII-VII of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a detail 'of the follower.i l

Our invention relates to radial draft gear, and consists in anarrangement which permits the coupler to buff directly against the shockabsorbing mechanism and thereby avoids throwing heavy buffing strains onthe A parts of the draft member.

Our inventiony also consists in the construction and coperation of thevarious parts which we shall hereinafter describe l and claim.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates lthe coupler, B the outer casing.of the draft member, C the inner casin of the draft member, D the shockabsorbing mechanism which we have shown in the form of'a frictionbarrel, and E the follower.

' The outer casin B has a forward exte sion in the form o a' pocket 2,for reception of the coupler shank 3. Therear end of the pocket 2terminates in a rectangular opening 4 for admission of the coupler linerblock 5 and the guiding lugs 6, 6 of the inner casing C, which projectforwardly through the opening 4 above and below the coupler liner blockwhen the gear is under buiiin' stress. The forward end of the inner caseC likewise has an opening 7 for admission of the liner block 5, so thatit may abut directly. against the forward end of the friction mechanismD.

The rear portion of the outer casing B is preferably cylindrical.throughout its length and is enlarged at itsrear end. Uponthe innerwall of this enlarged portion are segmental pulling lugs 8, preferablyone on each side, which occupy a little less than Specication of LettersPatent. Patngq'gd Dec 19, 1916 Application filed May 18, 1915. SerialNo. 28,814.

one-half of the inner periphery of the case, as will presently beexplained.

The inner casing C has a cylindrical forward portion which has a bearingwhen under heavy buff at its forward end against the shoulders 4 at eachside of the opening 4 in the casing B, and contains the frictionmechanism D, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and also rearwardlyextendingverticallyalined arms 9, 9, apertured fora pivot pin l0. The lower arm 9is provided with apertured ears l1, to support a pivot pin retainer.

The follower E at its rear side is formed with a concave buiing surface12, which bears against a similarly-curved convex surface upon the pivotcasting 13. The forward face 14 of the follower E is designed to abutdirectly against the rear end of the friction mechanism D. The followerE also has on each side outwardly-extending segmental pulling flangesl5, adapted 4to cooperate with the lugs 8 of the outer casing B in themanner later to be described.

In assembling the draft member, the fric- I tion mechanism is insertedinto the inner casing C from its rear end passing between the arms 9.The casing C is then inserted into the outer casing B, the two casingsbeing temporarily so alined that the arms 9 of the inner casing lie inthe same plane as the pulling segments 8 of the outer casing B,

and with its guiding lugs 6 bea-ring againstn 15 on the follower intoalinement with each other, so that the projections 16 will be broughtinto register with the correspondling notches 17 in the segments 8, andthe alinement between these parts will thereby be secured. The turningof the inner case Cwill also bring the lugs 6 into alinement with theopening 4 in the forward end of the cylindrical portion of the case B.The coupler A may then. be placed in the pocket -and skidded rearwardly,the liner block 5 passing through the opening 4 between the guidinglugs6 and throughtheopening 7 at the forward end of the inner case C, untilit presses directly against the closed end 0f the friction `case and`pushes it and the follower .E rearwardly. By inserting keys 418 throughthe slots 19 in the shank pocket so` as to lock the coupler in place,the outer casing is drawn forwardly and at the same time the couplerwill hold the friction mechanism and through it the follower Efromforward f movement, so that the segments 8 on the 'outer casing B andVthe flanges 15 on .the

follower will fit snugly together and will be held in alinement by theprojections 16 and notches 17 e v The operation of the device is asfollows:

`In draft thev coupler pullsthe outer casing B forwardly, and the casingB, through the engagement of itsv segments 8 with the flanges l5 of thefollower, pulls the follower forward. The follower in'turn compresses`mitted from the Acoupler to the car as follows': from coupler to outercasing B, `from -outer casing B to follower E by segments 8 Zand fianges15; from follower to friction mechanism D; from v friction mechanism toinner casing C; from inner casing by arms 9 to pivot pin, pivot-casingand to car. In buff the coupler linerblock bears directly upon' thefriction case D and drives-it rearwardly, so that the follower E,whichis held stationary by the pivot casting, will force the frictionelements-into the case and the bufling shocks will thereby be taken up.The

outerA casing B is carried rearwardly-with1 the coupler A sliding uponthe inner casing C, but isv not under stress, while the inner casing C,as in draft, remains stationaryas it is pivoted by its arms 9 tov thepivot casting 13. It will therefore be seen that the outer casing B andthe inner casing `C are under stress only in draft, and that the -heavybufling blows transmitted from thev coupler'are takenup directly by theshockabsorbing mechanism and are thence trans- `mitted byA the followerEto the pivt casting on the car, until the friction rigging goes solid,after which the remaining stresses are transmitted through theshoulders-20 on the outer casing B directly to the follower.

time, thus distributing the stress between the two casings and thelfriction gear. The casing C. is held from twisting by reason lof theconnection of its arms 9 to thelpivot pin, and the rectangular opening 7and the lugs 6 keep the coupler from twisting with The' shoulders 4alsostrikethej' forward end of the inner casing at the same respect tothe casing The coupler butt, however', under heavy draft stresses,v ispulled forward of the flanges or lugs 6, 6 of the casing C, so that thecoupler and outer casing A wouldbe free to twist were it not for thenotches 17 in segments 8 and pro# jections 16 in the flanges 15 on thefollower. The follower E is held from twisting by the 'arms 9 of thecasing C. rlhe guiding lugsy 6, 6 of the .inner casing are flaredoutwardly, 75 to assist in guiding the coupler butt to the rectangularopening7 in the forward wall of the casing C, and also serve to maintainthe device in alinement in case the friction mechanism should fail torelease. The friction mechanism would then remain under partialcompression, and the corresponding amount of longitudinal play might,without the lugs 6, permit the coupler butt to get out ofalinement withthe rectangular opening in the forward end of the casing C.

The terms and expressions which we have employed are used as 'terms ofdescription and not of limitation, and we have no intention, in the useof such terms and' eX- -pressions, of excluding any mechanicalequivalents for'the features shown and described, but recognize thatvarious structural modifications arepossible within the scope oftheinvention claimed.

What we-claim is:

l. In a radialdraft gear, a casing pivoted to the car body, containing ashock absorb-` ing mechanism, a second casing having a telescopingengagement with the first named casing, a coupler adaptedto move withthe second named casing, and an opening in the first named casing topermit'the rear end of the coupler during buffing to move therethroughinto direct contact with the shock absorbing mechanism.

2. In a radial draft gear, a casing piv` otally connected to a carcontaining a shock absorbing mechanism, a follower having a bearing onthe shock absorbing mechanism il@ and engaginga second casing', thefollower and the second named casing having a recess and projectionengagement to prevent a twisting movement of the second named casing. 1

3. In a radial draft gear, a casing adapted to Abe pivotally mounted ona car and containing a shock-absorbing mechanism, a sec-V 'ond casinghaving a plurality of Iinwardlyextending lugs, and a follower having aplu- 2&2@ rality of outwardly-extending anges, the lugs and flangesbeing adapted to be rotated into engagement during assembly of 'thegear.

4:. In a radial draft gear, vacasing adapted 325 "to be pivotallymounted on a car and containing a shock-absorbing mechanism, a secondcasing having a plurality of lugs, and a follower having a plurality ofHanges, the

follower being adapted to be inserted into 13@ the second casing and tobe rotated to bring the flanges into -lalinement with the lugs, thelugsand flanges cornhprisng means for locking the parts of the geartogether.

5L Ina rradial draft gear, va casing pivotally connected yto '-acar'shock absorbing mechanism contained therein, a second casing havingpro]ect10ns,' a coupler connectedto said second casing, a followernormally in engagementwith the car and having -projections adapted tohave a pulling engagement with the projections on said second strain.

casing, a plurality of sets'of shoulders on said Vsecond casing, one ofsaid sets being adaptedto have a bufing engagementfwith the follower,and another 'ci fsaid'fset's to have a bufling eng-agement .wthmtherstshocks are distributed between said follower land said first namedcasing, to relieve` the shock absorbing lmechanism Kof 'excessive

